Chester County · PA · Estates & Conservation Properties division
Forestry mulching and land clearing in New Garden, PA
In New Garden, outside an approved timber harvest, no more than 15 percent of woodlands and hedgerows may be cleared or disturbed for any use except agriculture.
Yes. Huntly Land Co. works in New Garden, PA. In New Garden, outside an approved timber harvest, no more than 15 percent of woodlands and hedgerows may be cleared or disturbed for any use except agriculture, and the Zone One riparian buffer may not be graded, filled or disturbed, apart from listed exceptions such as removing hazardous or invasive plants. Every job starts with a private site walk.
What the New Garden code says
New Garden covers about 16.1 square miles of land (US Census), roughly 10 miles from our Chadds Ford base. These are the town rules that most often shape a clearing, mulching or grading scope here, quoted from the code itself.
- 1.
15 percent of woodlands and hedgerows
Section 200-179 of the Chapter 200 Zoning, Article Xxii Natural Resource Protection reads: “Unless undertaken as an approved timber harvesting operation conducted in compliance with the required timber harvesting plan, no more than 15% of woodlands and hedgerows shall be graded, cleared, built upon or otherwise altered or disturbed for any use”
- 2.
Zone One stays undisturbed
Section 200-179 of the Chapter 200 Zoning, Article Xxii Natural Resource Protection reads: “Zone One: Except for regulated activities permitted by the commonwealth (e.g., permitted stream or wetland crossing), provision for unpaved trail access, selective removal of hazardous or invasive plant species, or a soil conservation project approved by the Chester County Conservation District, the Zone One riparian buffer shall not be graded, filled, built upon or otherwise disturbed.”
- 3.
Zone Two: 20 percent
Section 200-179 of the Chapter 200 Zoning, Article Xxii Natural Resource Protection reads: “Zone Two: Except for the following activities, no more than 20% of a Zone Two riparian buffer shall be graded, filled, built upon, or otherwise altered or disturbed: (a) Activities permitted in the Zone One riparian buffer.”
- 4.
Forestry needs a forester’s plan
Section 200-122.1 of the Chapter 200 Zoning, Article XVII Supplemental Use Regulations reads: “202 ] Forestry, including but not limited to timber harvesting, shall be permitted by right in all zoning districts, in accordance with an approved timber harvesting plan prepared by a certified registered forestor.”
Offices for a New Garden site
| Question | Office |
|---|---|
| Sediment and stormwater / erosion review | Chester County Conservation District (Chapter 102 erosion and sediment control, NPDES) |
| Township or borough office | New Garden Township office |
| State erosion and sediment rules | 25 Pa. Code Chapter 102 (DEP) |
New Garden questions, answered
Does New Garden limit woodland clearing?
Outside an approved timber harvest, no more than 15 percent of woodlands and hedgerows may be cleared or disturbed for any use except agriculture (Section 200-179).
Is there a stream buffer rule in New Garden?
The Zone One riparian buffer may not be graded, filled or disturbed, apart from listed exceptions such as removing hazardous or invasive plants (Section 200-179).
Nearby pages
Cost, permits and the ground
Code summaries are general guidance, not legal advice; Huntly confirms the rules that apply to each parcel before work.
What shapes the cost of land clearing in New Garden, PA?
Density and stem size, ground and terrain, access and staging, finish standard, resource plan, stewardship and schedule. Haul-off of non-organic debris, stump grinding below grade, permits and licensed applications are quoted as separate visible lines. Every job is priced in writing after a private site walk, and the walk carries no charge inside the service region.
Do I need a permit for land clearing in New Garden, PA?
Often. Pennsylvania requires a written erosion and sediment control plan for earth disturbance of 5,000 square feet or more (25 Pa. Code § 102.4), and the Chester County Conservation District reviews plans and NPDES coverage for larger disturbances. The New Garden rules on this page come on top of that. Whether a mulching-only scope counts as earth disturbance is a question for the township and the district, and we confirm it for each parcel before work.
Is forestry mulching better than bulldozing?
For most brush and small-tree work, yes. Mulching leaves roots in the ground and a chip layer on the surface, so slopes stay put, stream-adjacent ground stays stable, and there are no burn piles or haul-off loads. A buildable surface, root-ball removal, grading or drainage work may call for a broader clearing or excavation plan.
More about New Garden Township, Chester County, PA
Regulatory notes are general guidance; Huntly confirms the rules that apply to each site before work.
Who approves land clearing or earth disturbance in New Garden Township, Chester County, PA?
In New Garden Township, PA, clearing that disturbs ground falls under Pennsylvania Chapter 102. As general guidance, a written erosion and sediment control plan is needed at 5,000 square feet of earth disturbance and an NPDES permit at 1 acre or more. The Chester County Conservation District lists that program among its responsibilities, and the township can add local rules. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
Can I burn brush piles in New Garden Township, Chester County, PA?
Burning rules in Pennsylvania are set by the municipality, and Huntly did not verify a local open-burning rule for New Garden Township. Call the township before you light anything. Huntly's forestry mulching grinds brush where it stands and needs no burn permit. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
What invasive plants take over land around New Garden Township, PA?
Typical for Chester County: multiflora rose, autumn olive, bush honeysuckle, Oriental bittersweet and Japanese stiltgrass. They crowd out pasture, fence lines and woodland edges around New Garden Township, PA. Huntly clears thickets with a Cat 285XE forestry package on low-ground-pressure tracks, then treats regrowth as a separate line item if you want it. Herbicide, if used, goes through a licensed applicator and is quoted as a separate visible line.
Is there cost-share money for clearing invasives in New Garden Township, PA?
Possibly. As general guidance, landowners in New Garden Township, PA can ask the USDA service center for Chester County about EQIP funding. NRCS sets the Pennsylvania rate per scenario and year and decides eligibility and approval; ask the district conservationist for the current figure. The Chester County Conservation District also helps landowners plan conservation practices. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
Does Huntly serve New Garden Township, PA, and what does a site walk cost?
Yes. Huntly works New Garden Township, PA from its Chadds Ford base. The site walk is free, and every job is priced in writing after the walk at a fixed price. Longer hauls carry a mobilization line on the estimate. Call (484) 486-7272, Monday to Saturday 8 to 4, or email hello@huntlyland.com. Pennsylvania contractors must be registered as home improvement contractors with the Attorney General.
Who do I call for storm cleanup in New Garden Township, PA?
Call Huntly's 24/7 storm line at (484) 486-7272 for downed trees blocking a lane, field or driveway in New Garden Township, PA. Huntly's grapple clears and stacks the debris. If a tree is on a house or touching power lines, call a tree service or the utility first, then Huntly for the cleanup.
Where these facts come from
Sources: New Garden Township Code, Chapter 200 Zoning, Article Xxii Natural Resource Protection, Section 200-179 · New Garden Township Code, Chapter 200 Zoning, Article XVII Supplemental Use Regulations, Section 200-122.1 · 25 Pa. Code § 102.4, erosion and sediment control requirements
Last checked: October 2026.
Permits and rules
Clearing in New Garden can need a sediment and stormwater plan or a local approval. Start here:
Send us the details.
hello@huntlyland.comSend the town, rough acreage and two or three photographs. We reply by email with site-walk times, and a written scope follows the walk.
Office hours Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. On call 24/7 for storm and emergency cleanup. If anyone is in danger, call 911 first.